Causes for feline dandruff include obesity

Carlo Vitale

Published 4:00 am, Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Q:My cat, Tallula, is well groomed and has insanely soft fur, but occasionally she is covered in dandruff. It's inconsistent: One day she has dandruff and the next day none. I feed her Science Diet dry food and occasionally the same brand in wet food. What might be the causes (and cure)?

A: Dandruff is due to excessive dead skin cells, called seborrhea, that are caused by numerous factors. The most common is the cat's inability to groom due to obesity, thus the dandruff tends to be located more on the back, especially toward the base of the tail.

Another less common reason is allergy-related seborrhea. Some cats have skin inflammation from allergies (fleas, pollen), and this results in excessive accumulation of dead skin on the coat. After successfully treating the allergy, the seborrhea resolves.

Nutritional deficiencies are rare due to the high quality of U.S. pet food. Interestingly, some pets respond to nutritional supplements that are used as therapy for seborrhea, no matter what the cause.

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The most common treatment includes fatty acids such as omega-3 (fish-oil based) and omega-6 fatty acids (safflower, borage or evening primrose oil) in the form of gel caps or oil. These supplements may take up to 60 days to correct the dandruff. Also, some cat foods have these omega fatty acids already added.

Lastly, if your cat is agreeable to bathing, use a shampoo that is moisturizing and labeled for dry skin.